How high should the top tax bracket be? The answer to that is 'above my pay grade'. But while you ponder the question, a bit of history. Here's a list correlated with the President who set them. (From the US Department of Treasury and Tax Policy Center , via CSM.)

1964, John F. Kennedy. Taxes cut to rates ranging from 16 to 77 percent of income.

1969, Richard Nixon. Minimum tax established to reduce tax avoidance by rich Americans. Separate rates established for single payers. Top rate of 70 percent.

1978, Jimmy Carter. Income brackets adjusted for inflation, so fewer people are taxed at high rates. Top rate of 70 percent.

1981, Ronald Reagan. Taxes and number of brackets reduced. Top rate 50 percent.

1986, Ronald Reagan. Simplification brings number of brackets to three. Top rate falls to 28 percent.

1990, George H.W. Bush. Alternative minimum tax boosted and top bracket raised to 31 percent.

1993, Bill Clinton. Tax rates rise, with new high brackets of 36 and 39.6 percent.

2001 and 2003, George W. Bush. Taxes cut, with top rate falling to 35 percent by 2006. A bottom rate of 10 percent introduced.